An observational cohort study of patients with newly diagnosed digital ulcer disease secondary to systemic sclerosis registered in the EUSTAR database.

OBJECTIVES: This study describes clinical characteristics, prognostic factors, and quality of life in patients with newly diagnosed (incident) digital ulcers (DU). METHODS: Observational cohort study of 189 consecutive SSc patients with incident DU diagnosis identified from the EUSTAR database (22 centres in 10 countries). Data were collected from medical charts and during one prospective visit between 01/2004 and 09/2010. RESULTS: Median age at DU diagnosis was 51 years, majority of patients were female (88%), and limited cutaneous SSc was the most common subtype (61%). At incident DU diagnosis, 41% of patients had one DU and 59% had ≥2 DU; at the prospective visit 52% had DU. Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and multiple DU at diagnosis were associated with presence of any DU at the prospective visit (odds ratios: 4.34 and 1.32). During the observation period (median follow-up was 2 years) 127 patients had ≥1 hospitalisation. The event rate of new DU per person-year was 0.66, of DU-associated complications was 0.10, and of surgical or diagnostic procedures was 0.12. At the prospective visit, patients with ≥1 DU reported impairment in daily activities by 57%, those with 0 DU by 37%. The mean difference between patients with or without DU in the SF-36 physical component was 2.2, and in the mental component 1.4. DU patients were not routinely prescribed endothelin receptor antagonists or prostanoids. CONCLUSIONS: This real world cohort demonstrates that DU require hospital admission, and impair daily activity. PAH and multiple DU at diagnosis were associated with future occurrence of DU.

Ultrasonographic wrist and hand abnormalities in early psoriatic arthritis patients: correlation with clinical, dermatological, serological and genetic indices.

OBJECTIVES: The aims of our study are to describe the wrist and hand ultrasound (US) abnormalities compared to clinical examination in early psoriatic arthritis (ePsA) and to analyse their correlation with clinical, dermatological, serological and genetic indices. METHODS: We analysed 1120 fingers and 224 wrists of 112 early PsA, with MyLab70 Xview (Esaote, linear probe) ultrasound (US). Power Doppler active synovitis (AS), erosions, finger tendons tenosynovitis or peritendinitis (TP) and pseudotenosynovitis (PT), were compared to clinical (BASDAI, SHAQ), dermatological (PASI and psoriasis aspects), serological (ESR, CRP, ACPA) and genetic (HLA haplotypes) indices. RESULTS: All US abnormalities were present: AS was more frequent at wrists (50/224 [22.3%]), followed by hand PT (68/1120 [6,1%]) and TS (29/1120 [2.6%]), while erosions were rare (10/1120 [0.8%]). US abnormalities were independent of ePsA clinical indices (except erosions - even if represented only in a low percentage - that correlated to BASDAI [p<0.05]), while they were associated to several dermatological (except PASI), serological and genetic parameters: psoriasis (all p<0.0001), palmoplantar psoriasis (wrist and hand AS p<0.0005 and p<0.005, respectively), hand psoriasis (all p<0.0001), nail dystrophy (hand AS p<0.05, PT p<0.0001, erosions p<0.0001); positive CRP (all p<0.0001), ESR (wrist and hand AS p<0.005 and <0.0005, respectively, TS, PT and erosions p<0.0001) and ACPA - even if represented only in 1.78% of patients - (wrist and hand AS and TS p<0.0001, PT p<0.5); HLA-B27 (wrist and hand AS p<0.0001, TS p<0.01, PT p<0.05), -B35 (wrist and hand AS p<0.01 and p<0.05, respectively), -B38 (wrist and hand AS p<0.0001, TS p<0.0001, PT p<0.005), -CW6 (wrist AS p<0.05), -DR4 (wrist and hand AS p<0.0001, TS p<0.0001, PT p<0.005). CONCLUSIONS: US abnormalities of hand and wrist were independent of clinical ePsA indices (except erosions), while they correlated to dermatological (except PASI), serological and genetic parameters of disease.